Under The Setting Sun
by Leo-Blazer
Summary: She always used to come here, just to sit and watch the sunset. Funny thing about sunsets...they have a knack for bringing up long forgotten memories. Some good...some bad. Friendshipping, PMD2 HeroXPartner.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

_Life passes by in a glance,  
Time blinks its eye...  
And all becomes a memory.  
Slow down and savor the precious moments,  
They are but fleeting_.

_-Author unknown_

The low crash of waves against the shore echoed through the evening air, as the sun began its slow decent below the horizon, soon ushering in the night. During this serene time, where it was neither day nor night, yet both at the same time, something truly wonderful happened. Drawn out by such a sight, the local Krabby had flocked to the beach of Treasure Town, where they had scattered themselves atop the seaside stones and shoreline. Once they were all in place, each one of them had began to shoot from their mouths a cascade of bubbles, all different in their sizes. As the small capsules of water begin to drift through the air, carried by the gentle see breeze, they caught the light of the setting sun, causing them to sparkle like the rarest of diamonds. Within minutes, the air had become filled with these mid-air jewels, turning the beach into a scene plucked from the very heavens itself.

Sitting among this scene, watching the shining bubbles as they drifted through the air, was a lone Bayleef. She lay on her belly, her front paws crossed infront of her as the spectacle unfolded. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the scene before her, filling her with a sense of awe and wonder. Since before she could remember, this place had been her special place, somewhere she could go to cheer her up when things looked depressing, down or just plain hectic. But, because of her job as a member of an exploration team, she hadn't come here in a long time. Too long in her opinion.

Glancing up as a bubble drifted past her nose, she looked at it for a moment, before reaching up with her paw and popping it, giggling as it disappeared with a small "pop". Though slightly childish, it never the less put a smile on her face. As she popped another one, she thought back to all that had happened to her in recent months, not the least of which was the recent promotion to Master Rank, a rank coveted by nearly every Rescue Team. Her and her partner had been overjoyed when they'd gotten the news.

_Her partner…_ Tearing her eyes away from the beautiful landscape, she turned her sights towards a spot just a few feet down the beach from where she lay. _Yes…it was here that she had first met him._ At the time, she had just attempted to join Wigglytuff's Guild, a place famous for training some of the greatest teams in the region. Back then, she had been too afraid to try and had retreated to this very place. Shortly after arriving, she had noticed something lying on the beach. Rushing over, the young Chikorita was met by a Torchic, lying face-up on his back, out cold. Worried, she had desperately tried to awaken him. Her efforts proved useful, as soon he awoke and stood up. He appeared dazed, as if he had no idea where he was. The first thing she had done was ask him his name.

"It's Leo."

_Leo…what a nice name. _But what he said next was something she never expected to hear.

He claimed he was human. "A human!?" She had responded with obvious shock. "I don't understand. You look like a perfectly normal Torchic to me!" At that, Leo looked over himself, seemingly in shock. He flapped his tiny wings frantically as he saw that what she had said was true. The first thing that crossed her mind at this display was how unusual this guy was. Once again, he claimed he was a human, who had apparently been transformed into a Pokémon. For a moment, she wondered if she should believe him. But before she could wonder this any further, she was shoved hard from behind. Picking herself up, she saw that the culprits of this were a Koffing and a Zubat, both who would later turn out to be nothing but a bunch of thieves. As if to prove this, the Zubat swooped down and grabbed a fragment of stone she had dropped. It was her Relic Fragment! Her most prized possession! They only laughed as they flew off, which Saria could do nothing to prevent.

In desperation, she had asked Leo for help. Despite the suddenness of this request, Leo had agreed to help her. As they began their chase after the escaping thieves, they ran into some hostile Pokémon on the way. As they fought them off, it became apparent to her that Leo was having some trouble. It was almost like he wasn't yet accustomed to his body. _Could what he had said before be true?_

Not long after, they had caught up with the two thugs. The two of them weren't even fazed by being caught, yet she was shaking like a leaf in the wind. Only one thing kept her from running away in fear: Leo. Despite having just met him, she felt safer having him with her then having to do this alone. A fight quickly ensued, in which her and Leo emerged the victors. Oh, how the tables had turned, as the Koffing and Zubat had returned her Relic Fragment before running off.

As they returned to the beach, she'd thanked him for his help. After what she had seen, she now believed that what he had said before was the truth. He had once been human, yet now stood before her as a Torchic. From there, one thing led to another, and soon he had agreed to help her in joining the guild.

From there, it was like a door had been opened for them. They successfully joined the guild, which in itself was a huge feat to her, and started their own team: Team EmberLeaf (Leo's idea). With each mission, they became stronger and, in her case, braver. Yes, before this had started, she was the very definition of cowardice. At least once, she had even literally been scared by her own shadow! But, as time went on, she changed. She learned to face criminals without trembling in fear, to stay calm in even the worst of situations and to never give up. Again, it was Leo that gave her the courage to move on. More than once, he gave her the courage to do something that to most would have seemed insane, like jumping through a waterfall, or diving into a pit of quicksand. Yes, quicksand!

Throughout it all, he stayed by her side. He was with her through thick and thin and she with him. Even when they learned the truth about Leo's past, she remained. Nothing could tear them apart. Except-

"I thought I'd find you here, Saria."

The Bayleef known as Saria was shaken from her thoughts as a familiar voice reached her ears. Turning her head, she saw the very person she had been thinking about walking up the beach. Leo's white hair hung loosely against his back, running well past his shoulders, as well as having several bangs hanging over his face. He often claimed it was reminiscent of when he was a human. Tied around his neck was a green bandana, the same color as his bright green eyes, which was unusual for a Blaziken. The bandana also contracted with the red cloth she wore around her own neck, a gift he had gotten her shortly after Team EmberLeaf was formed.

Once he'd reached her, he took a seat down next to her. "Mind if I join you?"

"I thought you were watching Mana."

"Rai volunteered to look after him for me." Rai was the official third member of Team EmberLeaf. He had first met Leo and Saria during a mission through Amp Plains, where he had been a spunky, overactive Electrike at the time. He had at first tried to hamper their progress, but upon seeing their battle skills, he had excitedly asked if he could join them, Since evolving, Rai had matured slightly and wasn't as jumpy or over active as he was before.

Mana ,on the other hand, was a relatively new addition. After making their way through a previous hidden location known as the Surround Sea, the two of them had discovered a strange egg that appeared see-through, with a pulsating red core. The next day, after bringing the egg back with them, it had hatched into a near-legendary Pokémon, Manaphy. Saria had decided to name him Mana. But, because Manaphy were meant to live in the water, it was soon decided that he would live with a close friend of Chatot's, a Walrein, until he was strong enough. What followed was a heartfelt goodbye, as Manaphy was taken into the sea. They truly believed they would never see him again. Weeks later, they had come home to a great surprise. It was Mana! Though still young, he had stayed with them and had since, unofficially, become their forth team member. Though he commonly called them by their names, he sometimes referred to Saria and Leo as "Mom" and "Dad", which never failed to cause the pair of them to blush a bright shade of red.

Leo leaned back as he took in the sight. The sun had dropped lower behind the horizon and now the sky was painted with a mix of blues, reds and just a hint of orange. As they both sat back to watch the sunset, Saria's last thought returned after being interrupted by Leo's arrival. While the calming atmosphere had brought back some good memories, it had also allowed a painful memory to resurface. A memory of the day…Leo had been taken from her.

The impossible had just happened. Leo and Saria had just survived a life or death battle…against Dialga, the Pokémon of time itself! It was unheard of! A mere Torchic and Chikorita team had defeated the being who manages time itself, proven even more difficult by the deity's maddened rage, brought on by the collapse of time itself. Thanks to their actions, the natural flow of time had returned. At the moment, the two of them were walking away from Temporal Tower, which had received heavy damage, but still remained. Saria felt like she could take on the world, quietly humming to herself as they got further and further away from the tower. She glanced behind her at Leo, who seemed to be lagging behind for some reason.

"Come on Leo!" As she said this, a sudden tremor passed under, almost knocking her off her feet. It only lasted for a moment, before the ground once again became stable.

"Looks like things are still settling back to normal. We better get going." As she took another step forward, a bright light erupted from behind her, causing her to stop mid-step. Turning around her, eyes widened at what she saw. Whatever this light was, Leo was bathed in it. Not only that, but with each passing moment, his body became more and more transparent, as little particles of light began to drift off his body.

"L-Leo! What's happening to you!?"

"I'm sorry Saria. I've kept this to myself for as long as I could. But now…it looks like I'll have to say good-bye."

"What?! Good-bye!? What are you talking about!?"

"This is meant to happen. If the future is changed, then those from that future will disappear. That includes me."

"Wh-why!? I don't understand!"

He shut his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, there wasn't pain reflected in his eyes. Only sorrow and remorse for what he was about to say.

"I'm going to disappear now. But, Saria…I'll never forget you."

"W-wait! You can't go! I only made it this far because of you!" Tears began to stream down her face as her emotions took hold of her. "You made me strong Leo! If you're gone…I…I don't know what I'd do!"

"No Saria. You have to be strong on your own. You have to live!" With each passing moment, his voice was becoming more and more distance. "You have to go home…and tell everyone about what happened here…so that something like this never happens again."

"No…You…you can't go!"

He just smiled. It may not seem possible that a creature with a beak could smile, but it was. "Thanks for everything Saria. I'm glad…I'm glad I got to know you. I'm so lucky…that you were my friend."

Now the tears were coming in full force, as the realization that Leo was truly leaving forever finally hit her. "I feel the same way! To me…you're the most important thing to me. To me…"She was cut off as more tears came, but Leo seemed to understand what it was she was trying to say.

"Yes…I feel the same way about you."

"L-Leo…

"Even after I disappear from here…I will never forget you." At the moment, the light intensified. Leo's body began to break up as the last chain linking him to this world was severed, his body dissolved into a shower of particles. As the Torchic vanished from sight, his last few words hung on the air itself.

"Good-bye, Saria." With those words, he was gone. Saria fell to the ground, the tears dripping down her face onto the ground below. She didn't know how long she stayed there, crying her eyes out. After what felt like an eternity, she got back up, the fresh tears still present on her face.

"I… I have to go back. I have to tell everyone what happened. It's what…it's what Leo wanted." Taking one last look at where Leo had once stood, she turned around and began her way back home. During the whole trip, her heart remained heavy in her chest, sadness filling her very soul.

Months passed and Saria did what Leo had asked. She told their story. She told it whenever and wherever possible, to any who would listen. Slowly, the wounds of the earth began to heal and Treasure Town returned to its usual glory. But, even after all this time, one wound had failed to heal. The wound in Saria's heart. Sure, she'd put up a good front, but deep down she was no longer the energetic Chikorita that had once been. Now, she was nothing more than an empty husk of her former self, many a night spent crying herself to sleep over the memories of her lost companion.

On this particular day, after the training had been finished for the day, Saria decided to go for a walk. On her way out, she passed by Bidoof, another guild member who had just returned from an assignment.

"Hey Saria! Heading out?"

She just responded with an unemotional "Yeah…"

"Well, dinner's soon. Better not stay out long."

"I won't." Without another word, she wandered down the steps, not even sure of where she was going. After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly, Saria found herself standing by the shoreline. The sun was starting to set and the Krabby had come out like they usually did around this time, already beginning their bubble fest. Usually, the sight of this brought a small cheer to her heart, but now it was nothing more than dirt in her mouth. Tears began to run down her face as the mere sight of this place brought up even more painful emotions from the pit of her soul.

"W-why? Why did you have to leave me? Why did you have to go?!" She fell to her knees as she burst out crying. "You told me to live on…but how can I without you?! You were everything to me! My partner, my friend!"

"I don't know…how much longer I can go on. If I could…I'd give anything to have you back, even for just a moment! Please Leo…" She raised her head as she cried out to the heavens, "PLEASE! COME BACK TO ME LEO!!!" Her voice echoed against the waves for what felt like an eternity, before disappearing completely. Saria remained there, crying, until…

"_Saria…"_

Her head jerked upward at the sudden voice. It sounded distant and far-off, but there was no mistaking whose voice it was. Turning her head, she saw an orb of light materialize from thin air. With that light, a shower of particles began to converge on the spot, taking shape until it had formed into a distinct shape. The shape of a Torchic…

"L-Leo?" Was this a mirage? Was her grief stricken mind playing tricks on her, only to yank it away like some cruel joke? She careful took a step towards the light, as more features began to emerge. What had been a silhouette moments before had begun to take shape. More distinct features could be made out, such as the face and tiny patches of feathers sticking from his side, which one could call wings.

"_Saria…" _Once again, her name rang out, but it sounder much closer this time. Again, she took another step forward, the figure coming into view with each step. As the last of the figure appeared and the light faded away, she felt more tears begin to roll down her face. But these tears weren't tears of sorrow, at least not yet.

"Leo…is it really you?" For a moment, the thought crossed her mind that maybe this was all an illusion, nothing but a dream. But, if this was a dream, she didn't want wake up. At her question, a smile spread across his beak and, in that instant, she knew. The shell she had built up over the months instantly shattered, as she ran up to him, his wings wrapping around her as she buried her face in his chest, soon followed by a cascade of tears.

"I thought…I thought I'd lost you." Her tears seemed endless as the pent up emotions she had kept hidden all these months were unleashed. She just stood there, crying into his chest while at the same time held within his embrace.

"Saria…I'm sorry. I never intended for this to happen. What you went through…" He gently touched her cheek with his wing, causing her to look up at him. Though the tears had clouded her vision, she could still make out the worred look on his face.

"Please, forgive me."

Though the tears failed to stop, a smile slowly spread across her face, for the first time in mouths. "Of course. I'm just glad your back." She once again rested her head against his chest, as her well of tears finally ran dry. The two of them stood there for some time, caught up in the others embrace. Neither of them noticed as Bidoof walked onto the beach shortly after, sent there to get Saria before dinner was ready.

"Saria, it's time for-" He stopped dead in his tracks, his sentence left hanging as he caught sight of Leo. The small beaver's eyes widened in shock at the sight of his fallen comrade standing just a few feet from him. Without a moment's hesitation, Bidoof turned around and raced back towards the guild, intent on telling everyone what he had just seen. Again, he went unnoticed by the two reunited companions.

Once again, Saria was the one to break this beautiful silence. "Never leave me again. Promise?"

Leo just smiled. "I promise."

Far off in the distance, the sun was just making its final descent below the horizon, casting a blade of light over the sea. This in turn was reflected of the waters surface, catching in each individual bubble still drifting through the air, causing each capsule of water to sparkle. Truly, there never was a scene more befitting then the one seen by these two friends, only broken by the sound of a mob of guild members rushing onto the beach, followed by a unanimous cheer...

"Hey, Saria!"

"Huh-what?" Saria memories were once again interrupted by Leo's voice. She glanced over at him, where her gaze was met by another, one of confusion with just a hint of curiosity.

"You kind of zoned out on me for a minute. Something bothering you?"

She seemed to think about this for moment, before answering in a calm voice, "It's nothing. All in the past anyway." She turned her gaze back to the setting sun, with Leo doing the same soon after. Again, the sun had begun to drift even lower beneath the horizon, looking much like it was sinking below the waves. The remaining light from the sun began to reflect of the smooth surface of the water, bouncing back and reflecting against the drifting bubbles. Saria had to keep herself from gasping as the feeling of nostalgia washed over her. That day, all those months ago, was being repeated right down to the last detail right before her eyes. But the sadness that had plagued that day was nowhere to be found, replaced only by a serene calm that seemed to hover over the entire area.

As a sigh escaped her lips, she lowered her head, placing it right in Leo's lap. He didn't stop her, just simply smiled his famous smile as he looked down at his friend, the best friend a guy could ask for. Lifting his arm from his side, he ran his hand lightly over the leaf atop her head; much like a human would run his hand through a girl's hair as she lay beside him. He did this a few times, before she suddenly spoke.

"Leo…"

He stopped what he was doing. "Yes?"

Her voice seemed to quiet do to almost a whisper as she spoke. "Never leave me again."

Leo was taken aback by this statement, until he realized what she was referring to. As the sun prepared to vanish from sight, taking with it the last few minutes of day with to usher in the night, Leo too thought back to that day. In those last few moments, as the chains linking him to this world had begun to shatter one by one, something had remained unsaid. That last thing had instead echoed in the very hearts of the two beings on that day. Even when he had been revived from oblivion itself, that one thing had transcended words itself; instead flowing into the very souls of its recipients, where it would remain long after their days had passed.

A smile once again reached his lips as he placed his hand atop her head, gently stroking the leaf on top, as a feeling of calm began to spread through both of them. "Don't worry…I'm not leaving any time soon. I promise."

* * *

**Author: Well, there you have it! My attempt at a friendshipping fic. As usual, reviews are greatly appreciated!**


End file.
